The Unusual International Job Jurgen Klopp Turned Down Before Liverpool Move in 2015

A former director of the Mexico national team has revealed that he tried to recruit Jürgen Klopp back in 2015, but the German had his heart set on a move to Liverpool instead.

Klopp announced that he would leave former side Borussia Dortmund in 2015, and there were plenty of clubs interested in hiring him.

The likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Manchester United were all linked with the German, but it was Liverpool who swooped in and got a deal over the line after Brendan Rodgers was dismissed in the early stages of the 2015/16 season.

However, it seems as though Klopp also had the chance to turn to international football. Former Mexico director Guillermo Cantú revealed to TUDN that he tried to recruit Klopp towards the end of his time with Dortmund, but the boss quickly turned him down.

"I asked through a third party if he'd be interested in the Mexican national team and the message back was, 'I appreciate it, many thanks, but I still have a lot to do in club football and I want to go to England'," Cantú revealed.

"I never spoke directly with him, it was through a third party. He was still at Borussia Dortmund."

It wasn't all bad for Mexico, who did end up with Juan Carlos Osorio in the dugout instead. Under Osorio, Mexico enjoyed an impressive rise to prominence and they created a real buzz at the 2018 World Cup, but can you imagine if Klopp was in charge?

A front three of Raúl Jiménez, Hirving Lozano and Uriel Antuna could have become the new dominant force in football. The World Cup trophy could be sat in Mexico's trophy cabinet right now.

But no. Klopp decided that assembling one of the most dominant club sides in recent memory and winning the Champions League would be more fun. Boring.

In Klopp's defence, it hasn't always been smooth sailing at Anfield. His Liverpool side finished eighth in his first season, but a couple of smart (and massively expensive) signings in the transfer market soon saw them fly up the table.

They were on track to win the Premier League title this season before the coronavirus outbreak brought football to a stop, but who knows where they would have been if Klopp was strutting his stuff down in Mexico instead?